1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel far infrared radiation emitting material and also relates to a far infrared radiation emitting material utilized for drying various materials, for imparting functions such as thermal insulation to medical equipment and instruments and clothes and for air-conditioning and hair dressing and beauty.
2. The Description of the Related Art
As conventional far infrared radiation emitting materials, various ceramics including alumina, titania, zirconia and silica are proposed. These materials are used in air conditioning and medical applications as well as applications such as heating, cooling and drying of products by improving heat-absorption and heat-radiation efficiency using these materials.
In order to make thermal energy act on products and human organisms by utilizing far infrared radiation, it is necessary to efficiently radiate far infrared radiation according to the rotational oscillation wavelength of a water molecule contained in these subjects on which the far infrared radiation acts. However, these conventional far infrared radiation emitting materials are not necessarily superb in the radiation efficiency of far infrared radiation suited to the excitation of water molecules.
On the other hand, the inventor of the present invention has invented a far infrared radiation emitting material (JP No. 2137667) capable of efficiently emitting the thermal energy required for the excitation of water molecules contained in animal and vegetable bodies including human organizations. This far infrared radiation emitting material however has the problem of high production costs.
In view of this situation, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel far infrared radiation emitting material which can efficiently emit the thermal energy required for the excitation of water molecules contained in animal and vegetable bodies including human organizations, can be produced at a low cost and is highly usable in general-purpose applications.
A far infrared radiation emitting material according to the present invention by which the aforementioned object is attained is a material comprising 60 to 90% by weight of at least one type selected from titanium dioxide and titanium carbide, 10 to 40% by weight of at least one type selected from silicon dioxide and silicon carbide and 0.01 to 0.5% by weight of an oxide of a rare earth metal.
Also, the far infrared radiation emitting material of the present invention may be a far infrared radiation emitting material formed of a composition containing the aforementioned far infrared radiation emitting material and a synthetic resin and having a plate, cylindrical, sheet or fibrous shape or may be one obtained by processing this far infrared radiation emitting material.